But with a short tax holiday, expect stores to be filled with hurried shoppers.

According to the Florida Retail Federation, the holiday weekend is the state’s second busiest shopping “holiday” behind Black Friday.

So if you're not the patient type, you might want to stay home and fill up your online cart.

Here are some tips to help you save money, time and your sanity.

Shop smart

Just because items are exempt from tax, doesn't mean they will be at the lowest prices of the season. Make sure to check and compare prices.

Save more by following these tips:

Follow the general rules of Black Friday, such as coming up with a game plan, a budget and taking the sales circulars with you and a fully charged smartphone.

Know what is tax free and what isn’t. Have the list of eligible items handy.

Use coupons and rewards programs. The coupons are another good reason to bring the ads with you. You also can find coupons on store websites and mobile apps.

Earn points and rewards with store loyalty programs which equate to money off a future purchase.

Price match. Many stores match competitors’ advertised prices if they sell the identical item. Some require you to bring the physical newspaper advertisements to customer service desk for a price match and others allow you to price match competitors’ online prices including those on Amazon. Walmart, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Best Buy, Staples, Target and Michaels match Amazon prices but some exclusions apply.

Shopping online

Beat the crowds by taking advantage of the same tax break online. Here are some tips:

Earn cash back on purchases. Use websites such as Ebates.com, TopCashback.com or your credit card’s portal to earn a percentage of your purchase back. Ebates offers in-store cashback at a growing number of stores when you link your credit card to your account.

Smartphone app Ibotta also offers cash back rebates in-store and at select websites including Amazon.

Receipt reminders

Check your receipt before leaving the store to make sure you weren't accidentally charged tax. Other reasons to keep your receipts are:

Easier exchanges or returns. If the store is out of a size or a color you want, see if you can exchange the item for the right size and color once it’s in stock.

Price adjustments. If an item you bought goes on sale within the week or two after, some stores will credit you the difference.

For submitting rebates. If you buy an item that’s eligible for a rebate, make sure to submit the rebate or it won't be a good deal. If you’re not going to follow through, consider looking for another sale.

Stocking up

During the tax holiday and the days leading up to the new school year, stores will have some of the best prices on essentials such as notebook paper and notebooks.

Stock up to avoid having to pay full price in the middle of the school year.

Consider donating extra school supplies to a school supply drive.

In a few weeks, plan to shop clearance racks when school supplies and clothes will be marked down. For young children, buy the next size in clothes when the price is right.